Raziel's Legacy
by Discordia the Goddess of Irony
Summary: This is Raziel's story while he was still human, but will span several centuries later on. It tells his and his beloved's story. Finally, the 4th chapter is done!
1. Chapter 1

A/N First of all, I don't own the rights to Eidos Interactive, Crystal Dynamics, or the Legacy of Kain series or its characters. This story as of right now deals with Raziel's life as a mortal. The amount of time between chapters will vary anywhere from a few hours to a few hundred years(later on). Contains light to moderate fluff but will get darker in later chapters. Please read and review. Thanks a bunch to my friend and beta reader Sagan Fox for helping me with ideas and such. This is my first fiction so be gentle.

  
  
  
  


Raziel smiled at his companions' jokes, but it was obvious he wasn't really paying attention. Oddly, he seemed completely oblivious to the men around him, uncharacteristically inattentive.

  


"Are you feeling well, Raziel?" asked Turel, Glancing at him in concern.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine," he responded, turning his attention back to his fellows. "What were you saying Dumah?"

Again it was Turel who spoke, addressing Raziel with some alarm. "Raziel, Dumah wasn't speaking. He hasn't said anything for nearly twenty minutes. Are you sure you're not ill?"

Before Raziel had a chance to say anything, Zephon interjected. "His mind was elsewhere, say, perhaps, across the room."

The others allowed themselves a surreptitious glance across the massive hall. A handful of the order's sorceresses was relaxing in front of a blazing hearth.

Turel narrowed his eyes and gave Raziel a sly and knowing look. "A warm bed _is _nice in the winter. After all, it _does_ get cold… and lonely," he commented, laughing at Raziel and inciting the others to do the same.

Rahab was the next to speak, adding quickly to what Turel had said. "You just have to ignore the fact that the whole lot is balder than Lord Moebius." At this, the others roared with laughter and made several jokes about Raziel's taste in women and his own friendship with Moebius.

"Enough!" Raziel stated firmly, exasperated by his companions' lewdness. "This hall echoes, you know. You're all making fools of yourselves." Without another word, he strode out of the hall, glancing apologetically at the sorceresses.

He made his way to the balcony overlooking the waterfalls and the lake. The scenery was breathtaking and the vampiric corpses impaled on the far shore did not diminish the beauty. He sighed; winter was coming, and the lake would freeze soon. The waterfalls had already frozen, and a thin layer of ice was growing over the lake surface.

"Isn't it a little too cold to be out here?" inquired a voice behind him.

"Not anymore," he replied, turning toward the voice. "Ah, Melina," he said, a grin breaking his somber demeanor as he beckoned to her. "Come here."

She approached languidly, giving Raziel ample time to admire her lithe, supple body. She smiled mischievously as she came nearer, eluding his touch for a moment longer. She was unnaturally pale, with hair as raven-black as Raziel's and the most beautifully exotic eyes that he had ever seen. They were a sparkling yellow-green and had enchanted him since he'd met her. Melina was one of the sorceresses and the only one who hadn't shaved off her hair.

"Mmm," she observed as Raziel tugged her close, "the sunset is absolutely beautiful." She wrapped her arms around Raziel's neck as he gently kissed her cheek.

"Not as beautiful as you," Raziel insisted, kissing her throat. "But I prefer sunrise myself."

Melina smiled. "Of course you do, but the light is so much better at dusk, with the stars coming out."

Raziel shook his head but didn't argue, directing Melina's attention to the vista around them. He was slightly annoyed as she wrinkled her nose and scoffed.

"It would be better if it wasn't littered with corpses."

"But they're vampires," he retorted, his fanaticism and self-righteous zeal provoked. "They're parasites, leeching the soul and health of Nosgoth, and must be destroyed."

"Oh, I'm sick of hearing that, Raziel. If we can deny their right to exist as living beings, how can we justify our own? They have emotions as well. I've seen it. How can you just _murder_ them so indiscriminately?"He was shocked by her argument and the intense, searching look on her face.

"How can you defend those creatures or condemn _me_? You're a member of this order just as I am. You know what those things are capable of doing."

"And what about what _you're_ capable of doing?" she interrupted. "You _enjoy_ killing them." Melina stopped abruptly, shocked by her own argument. How could she have let herself become so adamant, she wondered, especially with Raziel?

Melina bit her lower lip, and placed her hand on Raziel's cheek. "Raziel, please, let's not argue over this anymore. It's not worth fighting." She smiled sweetly at him.

Raziel agreed with her, gently kissing her lips before replying. "All right, I know how much you hate to fight. But why, pray tell, did you become a Sarafan?"

Melina shrugged weakly in response and shook her head. Raziel sighed, shaking his as well.

"Can you come to my chamber tonight," he whispered in her ear, gently biting her earlobe.

Melina giggled in response. "We'll see," she said, turning to leave.Raziel watched her as she left, wondering how he could let himself fall in love with her. She was certainly attractive, and any of the others would have seized the opportunity to claim her, for reasons far less lasting than his own. They wanted her for her beauty, and to break her stubborn will. Many of them felt threatened by her somewhat rebellious nature, which Raziel found inexplicably alluring.

All of this made Raziel love her more. She was loyal and found every other man there repulsive in some way or other. And while he might gain transitory dominion over her, he couldn't force her to do anything against her will. She was maddeningly alluring and frustrating at the same time. Melina also filled a part of him that had remained void and hollow for several years. She made him feel complete, at peace. Sometimes he wanted nothing more than to live a peaceful, happy life with her. His commitment to the vampire purge, however would not allow that. Not yet. 

She confused him to no end. Her mother had been killed by vampires, and yet she seemed sympathetic to them. He sighed, unable to understand her and unwilling to spend too much time trying.

Raziel lingered a moment longer, absently considering the view. After some time, he turned to leave and was startled to find Lord Moebius observing him

.

"Lord Moebius, I didn't realize you were there," he said, bowing his head reverentially. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, not at all," Moebius replied with a smile. " I just wanted to discuss a few issues with you. It's nothing that couldn't wait."

"What issues might those be?" Raziel asked, knowing that he was referring to the Holy War.

"The war against the vampires has lasted many years, but I believe that we can end it all within a year." Moebius smiled at Raziel's astounded expression. "Indeed," he mused, "it's rather amazing, and incredibly simple, actually. All we have to do is kill the vermins' progenitor, that fiend Janos Audron."

Raziel nodded in agreement. "Of course, kill the source, and the rest will perish. How long before we can infiltrate that retreat of his?"

"Patience, Raziel, patience. The time isn't right yet. Your enthusiasm is heartening though."

Both of them laughed at the scarlet flush rising in Raziel's cheeks. "Tell me Raziel, what will you do once all of the vampires are dead?"

Raziel's expression darkened as he considered the question. " I never put much thought into it. I suppose that I would go back to my family's land. I _am_ a lord in my own right with no siblings, no heir . . . "

". . .Yet," Moebius interjected. "That problem is solved easily enough." Moebius turned to go but paused. "Raziel, would you be willing to lead the attack on Janos's retreat, bearing my staff of course?"

"Not willing, honored beyond words."

"Excellent."

Raziel was alone again, and he felt it, a cold emptiness within him. He shivered convulsively and slowly made his way to the massive chapel. Here, he could brood peacefully as he stared absently at the vaulting arches and towering pillars. Thoughts of his father and grandmother, both murdered by vampires when Raziel was a child, occupied his mind until he went to eat. 

Theoretically rank and position meant nothing in the eating hall, but the Sarafan had a habit of segregating themselves into separate communities. Functioning units ate together, while their leaders ate elsewhere. Sorceresses rarely joined the men with whom they worked, avoiding the men as best they could. The healers of the order also maintained their own area.

Raziel ate quickly and left quietly, opting not to sit and get drunk with the others. Once in his chamber, he lit a fire in the hearth and relaxed on the bed, drowsing. A gentle rapping on the door made it necessary for him to get up and open the door.

Melina slipped into the room, wrapped in a massive cloak that hid her face. As soon as Raziel bolted the door, she began to remove it. Raziel chuckled softly.

"Cold?" he asked playfully. "I can think of a way to warm you up."

"Honestly, Raziel, I have a reputation to protect"

He drew closer to her, teasing her. "I'll say you do. The others are quite fascinated by my stories about you."

Melina punched him lightly in the stomach and kissed him lovingly. "That's not funny. Keep it up and I'll have to put a spell on you."

"You already have," he said, pulling her toward the bed.

"Oh, I see how you are, my single-minded warrior. It's always about conquest, isn't it?"

Raziel's only response was an uncharacteristically playful grin. Melina smiled impishly in response.

"Well, I hope you have as much zeal and enthusiasm for this as you have for killing."

This finally elicited a verbal response, though it was only brief. "More," he said as he pulled her down onto the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N It's me again. Like I said before, I don't own the rights to this game so don't sue me. Thanks to everyone that reviewed. I'm glad that people have found this interesting. It's still a bit fluffy, but it'll get darker in the next chapter. Additionally, I would like to say that I'm aware of Sarryn's fiction, and it is similar to mine in some aspects. Mine, however, is different in several ways that will become clear later on in the story. Sarryn has a great story, and I am not trying to copy it or anything like that. Well, with that said, here's the second chapter.

  
  
  
  
  


Raziel awoke to find the room cold and dark. It must have been after midnight, but Melina was still there. He could feel her pressed against him, her head on his chest. It bothered him to even _think _of disturbing her, but he was cold, beginning to shiver. He could see the last embers slowly dying in the hearth.

  


"You can get under the covers if you want."

  


Raziel was startled, even though Melina constantly did this, waking soundlessly and answering questions he had only thought to himself.

  


"I didn't mean to wake you."

  


"You didn't," Melina responded, pulling herself away so that they could nestle under the blankets.

  


"And will you be remaining here until morning?" Melina had once more pressed herself against him. It was rather distracting to him, but he managed to focus his attention on her words.

  


"Alas, my love, but I shall be gone with the first whisper of the morning, nothing more than a fading vision."

  


Raziel had to laugh softly at that. She was a poet at heart, trapped in the body of a warrior peasant girl. 

  


"And here I had dared to hope that dawn would bring a vision of you sleeping in my arms."

  


"Any such vision will have to be of your own invention, dear love, for I shall be gone."

  


Raziel sighed melodramatically. No amount of arguing could dissuade her, but it was fun to try.

  


"Here now, can I not have but one morning where I wake to find you in my arms?"

  


"Raziel, dear heart, just as your righteousness will not allow you to rest while vampires yet inhabit Nosgoth, my rather hypocritical sense of honor will not allow to sleep while the threat exists of being caught in my paramour's bed."

  


"And what if you were too tired to wake up before dawn?" He questioned her playfully, a slight nonchalant lilt in his voice.

  


"I don't think you're capable of tiring me to that extent."

  


"Is that a challenge?"

  


"No, Raziel it isn't. You and I are at an impasse my love. You refuse to take a wife before this crusade ends, and I will not have Turel stumble in here and find me sleeping naked in your arms."

  


"The war may end sooner than you think. Melina, you act as though this war will last forever."

  


"It takes a long time to obliterate an entire race. It's not something that gets accomplished in one day Raziel."

  


"And if it were?" He wanted her to understand how close they were to destroying the vampires, how easy it was.

  


"What do you mean?"

  


"What if we could eliminate all of those filthy vermin in one fell swoop?"

  


"Raziel, I believe that _you _are being excessively optimistic. Vampires would _never _allow every member of their race to simultaneously occupy a single location."

  


"They don't have to, my love. If we can eliminate the source, their progenitor, we destroy the race."

  


Melina tensed in his arms, obviously shocked. When she spoke, her voice was tremulous, but in the darkness, Raziel had no idea how she was truly reacting.

  


"You mean that by killing Janos Audron all those that share his blood will _die_? But what about fledglings? When you kill the maker, the fledgling remains alive."

  


"This is different. Janos is the ultimate source from which all vampires come. Destroy the root, and the tree will fall as well. Just think, in a year's time, this will all be over."

  


Melina sighed, and again, Raziel had no way of knowing the direct cause.

  


"It will be over." There was a dark undertone to Melina's words, and quite suddenly her body stiffened.

  


"Melina?"

  


Panic briefly gripped Raziel's heart, but he soon realized that she was having a vision. She might not say anything about it, but Raziel knew that she had seen a glimpse of the future. Slowly, Melina's frame relaxed, but she was still uneasy and trembling. Raziel pulled her closer to him and embraced her reassuringly, protectively. Melina buried her face against Raziel's chest and took a deep breath to calm herself. Raziel allowed her to do so, knowing that she would be gone before he ever awoke. 

  


"Once this is all over," he whispered gently, "we can finally live happily ever after."

  


Raziel was already too far into the lull of sleep to hear Melina's response. And it was just as well, for he would not have appreciated the foreboding in her voice.

  


"There's no such thing as happily ever after. Not for us."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Discordia is back for yet another chapter. I still don't own the rights to the game, characters, etc. Anyway, here's the long awaited third chapter. * Sarafan Raziel glances at Discordia doubtfully. * 

  


"Long awaited? It's been two days since you published this. That's not very long."

  


*Discordia glares at Raziel. * Silence, you. I don't need you telling me what to do. Now get back to Nosgoth before I do something really evil.

  


"What could you possibly do to me?" 

  


That's it! You asked for it! *Discordia hurls Raziel back into the story. * I'll deal with you in a minute.

  


Anyhow, please read and review. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed my first two chapters. I probably won't update for a while after this, since I already had these three chapters written.

  


In response to Sagan Fox, yes the Irony stick is being polished as we speak. To Silveriss, thank you. * Discordia bows. * To Light in Dark Places, you don't have to hurt me. I'll write more for the simple joy of it. * Kain snickers. *

  


Hey, just because you're not in this fiction yet, doesn't mean you won't be! I can think of plenty of ways to deal with you. * Discordia's eyes light up, and she grins evilly. * In fact, I just did.

  


Right, with that taken care of, here's chapter three.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Raziel continued with his life as always, his mind now occupied by the proximity of the war's end. He passed several weeks buried in these thoughts. Only when the winter was half gone did he realize that he hadn't seen Melina since his announcement to her that Janos would die within a year. As he thought on it, he realized that she seemed intent on avoiding him. This thought hurt him deeply but also angered him.

  


He finally cornered her as she was sitting down to eat in the hall, addressing her position as the leader of the sorceresses. He approached quietly, not giving her the opportunity to see him.

  


"Sorceress Melina," Raziel called, watching her flinch at the sound of his voice. "I need to have a word with you in private regarding one of the new recruits. That is, if it's no inconvenience to you."

  


Melina turned and gave Raziel an impassive look before responding. "Of course, Lord Raziel. If you would be so patient as to allow me to finish my meal, I'll speak with you."

  


Raziel turned on his heel and called over his shoulder, "Be quick about it!" He strode away, angrier and more suspicious than before.

  


"The nerve of that woman!" he seethed as he slammed the door to his chamber.

  


An hour passed before Melina knocked and let herself into the room. She stood there, impassive and quiet.

  


"You wanted to speak to me?"

  


Her quiet composure infuriated Raziel. "Indeed I did. I hadn't seen you for some time. I was wondering if perhaps you'd lost interest."

  


"If you're going to treat me like a brothel girl, the least you could do is pay like one." Melina scoffed at him.

  


"Where have you been?" Raziel could feel his temper rising, threatening to break. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd be able to control it if she did confess to some infidelity or other.

  


Melina gave Raziel a somewhat disgusted look before answering.

  


"I've had more important things on my mind."

  


"On your _mind_?!" Raziel stood up, blind with jealous suspicion and rage. In a quick effortless movement, he backhanded Melina. "Answer me straight, girl! Have you been bedding with someone else?"

  


He raised his hand once more, but Melina's look of hatred stopped him. Tears had begun to form in her eyes, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

  


"Are you quite through?" she asked him, throwing open her cloak.

  


Raziel stared in shock at her swollen abdomen. It hadn't shown in the rest of her body, but he could now see that she was pregnant. A wave of relief and self-loathing coursed through him.

  


"If you're quite finished with this inquisition, and you've no more accusations to make, " Melina said, turning to leave.

  


Raziel's legs buckled, dropping him to his knees in a supplicating posture.

  


"Melina," he called hoarsely, "don't go. Please, forgive me."

  


Melina glanced back at him with a brief expression of unmitigated hatred, but stopped, one hand on the door. Raziel felt prepared to crawl before her if necessary and quickly found his voice lest she demand it of him.

  


"Forgive me my deeds, my words, and my ignorance. I never should have doubted you."

  


"No, you shouldn't," she replied quietly, pain written on her face and in her eyes.

  


"I swear to you, by the Pillars themselves, that I will never raise a hand against you again, nor will I in any other way harm you. All I ask is that you forgive me."

  


Melina stared coldly at him for a moment, and he feared that she would leave cursing him to some terrible fate or torment. Instead, she approached him silently and placed her hands on his cheeks. With considerable strength, she began pulling him to his feet, all the time staring directly into his eyes. Raziel found himself unable to withstand the raw pain and anger in her glance and shut his eyes. He was shocked to feel her lips brushing against his in what he felt certain must be a farewell kiss.

  


"I forgive you."

  


She said it in a voice that was barely a whisper. Opening his eyes, Raziel found her looking at him with the most heartrendingly loving expression. There was something tragic in her in her look, but Raziel ignored it. With a gesture meant to show his gratitude, Raziel kissed her gently and enfolded her in his arms.

  


Raziel's body was numb and exhausted with shock and emotion, but his mind raced in a cascading tirade.

  


_You goddamned stupid fool! How could you do such a thing?! Not only do you get her with child, you accuse her of being a whore and treat her like a common brothel girl! Her father has every right to kill you! Knowing that old bastard though, he'd just take the bride price, 'graciously' decline a forced marriage, and beat her to death!_

  


His mind continued with these and similar thoughts until Raziel felt as though he would die of grief or shame.

  


The two finally collapsed on the bed, Raziel's hand lying protectively over his child. Melina's sobbing drew his attention, and he suddenly feared that she might miscarry.

  


"What are you going to do?" he asked her gently.

  


"When the weather changes," she began in a choked whisper, "I'm going to Uschtenheim to stay with my sister Leda. I'll claim some family emergency or other and give birth there."

"Nonsense, you should go to my mother and . . . "

  


"And what?" she interjected. "Tell her that I let you tumble me a few times, got pregnant, and expect her to care for me and my bastard child?"

  


Raziel's mind went in several directions at once, one part working to find a logical resolution to the problem and another reminding him that it had been far more than 'a few times.'

  


"If I stay with Leda, there's no big scandal over my pregnancy and no explanations to your lady mother that I'm the common born girl whose skirts her son has been lifting. My way is easier for both of us. Leda can take care of my child until such a time as I'm able to do so, and we can visit whenever we like." 

Raziel sighed, but he knew that she was right.

  


"Fine, if that's the way you want to do it, then go right ahead."

  


"Thank you." 

  


They were falling asleep, but Raziel didn't care. With or without the legal documents to prove it, this was his wife, the mother of his child. He pulled Melina closer, letting one hand remain over their child, while the other rested absently on her already swelling breasts.

  


"I love you," he whispered tenderly.

  


"And I love you, with every fiber of my being."

  


Raziel fell asleep, exhausted by the entire scene and glad to have Melina in his arms. He never knew when she awoke and slipped away, and he wasn't surprised to her gone when he awoke. 

  
  
  
  
  


A/N If you're still reading this, thank you. I just want to clarify that I in no way whatsoever support abuse in relationships. I think that people who do that are terrible human beings. Despite this, I've made Raziel abusive. Why? I'm focusing on the darker, more violent side of his character here, the side that enjoys killing and torturing vampires. As you can see, the more rational and emotion driven side of his character took over soon after.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Well, how about that? I finally updated this fic. Sorry for taking so long, but I've had a lot going on recently. The three facets of my author personality all decided to go in twenty different directions at once. Anyway, please read and review. I still don't own the rights to this series, and I doubt I ever will. For anyone still recovering from the angst level in the last chapter, I promise you that this chapter is fluffier. Well, that's enough from me.

  
  
  


Raziel sighed and glanced around, trying to discern shapes in the darkness around him. He and Turel had been given watch duty in the village of Uschtenheim every night for the past week. That was an entire week of nervously avoiding Melina and silently hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Her sister had kept her well hidden.

  


Turel snored softly, drawing Raziel's attention. He lightly kicked Turel until his eyes opened and he sat up. Turel blinked at the wind and snow as he slowly regained his feet.

  


"Enjoy your nap?" Raziel questioned him sarcastically.

  


"There's no need to be angry. I'm exhausted."

"How can you be exhausted? You spent the entire day in your chambers."

  


"That doesn't mean that I was sleeping," Turel commented with a wolfish grin.

  


Raziel looked at Turel with disgust and shook his head. He shivered, noticing the steadily increasing strength of the wind. The snow had been getting heavier all night, piling up in large drifts.

"What about that serving lass in the Keep?"

  


"What about her? She's not my wife."

  


"Turel," Raziel admonished, "you can't continue living like this. One day you're going to end up with about five girls all claiming that you're the father of their children."

  


Turel shrugged at Raziel's comment. "I don't think there'll be any vampires out tonight," he mused, pointedly changing the subject. "Why don't we just head back to the inn for the rest of the night? We're stuck in the village anyway."

  


"You go ahead," Raziel answered. "I'm going to stay here a while longer."

  


Turel laughed as he turned to go. "Your dedication to your work will be the death of you Raziel. Learn to enjoy your life."

  


Raziel waited until Turel was gone before abandoning his post and turning his steps toward the village. If Turel didn't pass out for the night upon returning, he'd spend it in drunken revelry, amorous pastimes, or both. He'd never notice if Raziel wasn't there. Quietly, carefully, he made his way to Leda's house. By the time he reached the door, he was shivering violently with cold. It took Leda several moments to open the door, since she had been sleeping. She saw and recognized the Sarafan armor before she recognized his face and tensed briefly. After a second look, she recognized him and allowed him to enter.

  


"Please, try not to disturb Melina," Leda commented softly as she led him to her sister's room. "This should only be a short visit."

  


Raziel watched Leda go to her own room and shut the door, leaving him in the dark. He knocked softly on the door. Melina opened it and smiled when she saw him. She had gained only a small amount of weight considering how advanced her pregnancy was, but she was still moving gracefully.

  


"Well," she murmured sleepily, "I guess dreams _do _come true."

  


Raziel followed her into the room and soundlessly closed the door behind him. Despite the strong desire he had to kiss her, the need for warmth forced him over to the small hearth. Melina chuckled and began unbuckling his armor. She brushed the snow off his hair and stood beside him as he shed the damp outer layers of his clothing. When only an undershirt and a pair of breeches remained, she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.

  


Raziel caught her arms and turned her to face him. With all due gentleness, he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Melina slowly melted against him, reaching up to cradle his cheeks in her palms. Raziel allowed one hand to rest on Melina's abdomen. With a sigh, he seated himself on the floor, leaving Melina to join him.

  


"Oh no you don't," she whispered, "I refuse to sit on that cold floor. You do whate'er you wish, my lord, but _I_ am sleeping on the bed."

  


Raziel followed Melina and snuggled close beside her. As odd as it may have seemed, he missed the simple pleasure of lying next to her and feeling her pressed against his side. Raziel sat up to gaze into her eyes.

  


"Melina," he began tenuously, "do you truly forgive me?"

  


She smiled faintly, though her eyes did not. "Raziel, love, if I hadn't forgiven you, you wouldn't be here right now."

  


"I can't express how sorry I . . ."

Melina reached up to press a finger against his lips and shook her head dismissively. Raziel moved closer, bending down to kiss her lips and then her stomach. For a few moments, he remained that way: his cheek pressed against her abdomen. Finally he lied back down beside her, still holding a hand to her swollen belly. 

  


"Here now Mel, we haven't even though of names yet. What should we name our child if it's a girl?"

  


Melina smiled, obviously on the verge of falling asleep. "It's a boy," she muttered.

  


"Oh, is it now? Well, I guess we'll have to name him after my father."

  


"Oh no you're not."

  


Raziel was more than a little surprised by this comment. "You don't mean to name the child after _your_ father, do you?"

  


"Of course not, but I'm not naming him for your father either. The child's name is Kain and that's the end of it."

  


"No one in your family or mine has that name."

  


"I like it, and you can't change my mind. His name is Kain."

  


Even as Melina said this, Raziel felt the skin of her abdomen jump. Melina smiled victoriously. "See? Even he agrees."

  


"Fine, fine, have it your way."

  


Melina grinned but said nothing, even as her child kicked against its father's hand. After five minutes of Raziel entertaining himself by trailing his finger across her stomach so that the child would follow his movements, Melina responded.

  


"Raziel, stop that and go to sleep. I've been carrying your child around all day, and I'd like the chance to rest."

  


Raziel blushed slightly and laid down beside her, his arms wrapped lightly about her. He fell asleep with his face buried in her hair. The sun had not yet risen when he awoke and sat up. The next set of guards would be arriving for their duty soon. With a soft kiss on Melina's cheek, he climbed out of the bed and began to dress himself. He turned back to gaze at her one last time and shut the door behind him. How she had done that every morning she spent with him, he didn't know. He reached his post long before Turel, and as a result, his companion assumed he had spent the nigh there. The two waited until their replacements came and then headed for the Sarafan Keep. However long it took, Raziel wanted to return before the birth of his child.

  
  
  
  



End file.
